That’s the nickname of Madison, Wisconsin, and they all say it lovingly!

It’s a pretty cool town to get to know. It’s really grown on me; getting used to the midwest is nice when you’re in the town that’s surrounded by reality. The facilities that Madison provides for bicycles along with the recent conversion of State St. are absolutely fantastic and really cater to alternative ways of getting around town without depending on a car.

Of course, that hasn’t stopped me from getting my hands on a car! If you want to get anywhere our of town, a car it’s nearly essential. Sure, there are buses that go to Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and Chicago, but there are no transportation to places in between. To get to Devil’s Lake, I went on a 100 mile bike ride with fellow grad students… it’s definitely feasible, but it’ll take the whole day.

I ended up getting a Zipcar membership; they are a national car-sharing company that just started up operations in Madison. I’ve already used their cars to drive over 700 miles in the I’ve month that I’ve had my membership. It’s a great value, especially considering gas and insurance are included.

This winter has been very mild as well, with snow hardly staying on the ground for more than a week. There was a cold spell in early January, but the snow melted fairly quickly within a week. The trail runners that I bought at the local REI does wonders for keeping my feet dry!